Platform shoe and platform for use in the same



June 11,1940. A. c. SEWALL ,204,159

- PLATFORM SHOE AND PLATFORM FOR USE IN THE SAME Filed Oct. 5, 1938 3Sheets-Sheet 1 E 1. 15 a.

IIIIIIIVI'IIWII June 11, 1940. Q s w 2,204,159

PLATFORM SHOE AND PLATFORM FOR USE I THE SAME Filed Oct. 5, 193a aSheets-Sheet 2 firm asewaii, 2; MUM Mm n" June II,' 1940. A. c. SEWALL'2,204,159

PLATFORM SHOE AND PLATFORM FOR USE IN THE S'AME Filed Oct. 5, 1938 sSheets-Sheet 5 Patented June 11', 1940 UNITED STATES PLATFORM SHOE'ANDPLATFORM FOR USE IN THE SAME Arthur C. Sewall, Auburn, Maine ApplicationOctober 5,1938, Serial No. 233,472

10 Claims.

My invention relates to so-called platform shoes and so-called platformsfor use in the same.

The invention, which has among its objects the provision of ashape-retaining cushion platform,

will be best understood from the following description when read in thelight of the accompanying drawings of several modifications of platformsand shoes employing the same according to the invention, the scope ofwhich latter will be more particularly pointed out in the appendedclaims.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a plan of one form of sheet from 15 which maybe cut the substantially incompressible portions of platforms accordingto the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan of the substantially incompressible portion of aso-called blocker according to ,one form of the invention;

Fig. 4 is a plan of the completed blocker;

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 55 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a plan of a modified form of blocker;

Fig. 7 is a section on the line 1-1 of Fig. 6;

Figs. 8 and 9 respectively are plans of further different forms ofplatforms according to the invention;

Fig. 10 is a section on the line ill-40 of Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is a more or less diagrammatic view corresponding to a sectionon the line H'-Il of Fig. 6 showing a slashed portion of the platformflexed;

Fig. 12 is a side elevation of a shoe having one 35 of the platformsillustrated by Figs. 9 and 10;

Fig. 13 is a section on the line l3i3 of Fig. 12;

Fig. 14 is a section of the shoe corresponding to Fig. 13 showing afurther modification and having one of the platforms according to Figs.4 to '7;

40 Fig. 15 is a plan of a further form of sheet from which may be cutthe substantially incompressible portions of further forms of platformsaccording to the invention;

Fig. 16 is a side elevation according to Fig. 15; Fig. 17 is a plan of ablocker cut from the sheet according to Figs. 15 and 16;

Fig; 18 is a plan of a platform formed from of each are generally alikeexcept that in Fig. 12 the platform I extends the entire length of theshoe, whilein Fig. 20 the platform 3 is confined substantially to thetoe and ball portions of the shoe.

As illustrated, the platform of the shoe according to Fig. 12 is cutfrom a blank or blocker 5 (Fig. 4) to the desired outline, say as shownby the broken line I of that figure, the blocker as shown being formedwith a through opening 9 0 in which is inserted a sheet ll of cushionmaterial. The sheet of cushion material preferably is formed of rubbercompound mixed with granulated cork. However, it may be formed of anyconvenient material such as resilient sheet rubber, felt waterproofedwith rubber, etc. The body portion of the blocker according to theinvention.is formed of relatively incompressible material such as stiffhard leatherboard or the like, say from A; to thick depending upon thedesired height of the platform, and conveniently is transversely slashedalong the lines indicated at I3 (Fig. 4), particularly the thickersizes, at the ball and adjacent parts of the shank portion, and at otherportions if desired, for rendering those portions flexible. It will beobserved that when the platform is cut from the blocker theincompressible material forms a frame ii at the edges of the platformfor the cushion material. 30

In forming the blocker according to Figs. 4 and 5 a long sheet I! ofleatherboard, an end fragment of which sheet is shown in Fig. 1, may belongitudinally slashed along the lines I3 of sufficient depth and closeenough together to impart the desired flexibility to the platform.Asleatherboard is of such nature that, in handling the platform duringfabrication of the shoe and in some instances during wear, it tends tosplit between the slash lines, to prevent this, and displacement of anyportions that might split off, the slashed surface is covered preferablyby an adhering layer IQ of resilient material. This layer may take theform of a very thin sheet of resilientrubber cemented to the slashedside of the sheet IT, or, if desired, it may be formed 1 of a thin sheetof relatively loosely Woven cotton flannel, the side opposite the napbeing rubberized and cemented to the slashed surface of the sheet 11,such a sheet of flannel being suinciently resilient for the purposeshereinafter described. If the platform is desired for use in a cementedshoe there is also preferably applied to the side of the sheet l'lopposite the slashed side thereof a second adhering layer 21 similar tothe adhering layer l9.

Preferably the layers 19 and 2| are of rubber or resilient rubberizedmaterial presenting an exposed surface containing rubber in situationswhere parts are to be secured to the incompressible portion of theplatform by wet latex. Where they are to be cemented by pyroxylin cementpreferably they are of the rubberized cotton flannel described or othermaterial which can be applied to present an exposed napped surface.

The incompressible portions of the blanks 01 blockers conveniently arestamped by use of a die from the sheet along outlines indicated by thebroken line 23 of Fig. 1, the openings in these portions of the blockersbeing cut by the same operationand die along outlines indicated by thebroken line 25 of Fig. 1, the opening 21 of Fig. 1

indicating the condition of the sheet at a portion thereof from whichthe incompressible portion of the blocker has been cut. The blockersshown are for right shoes, but it will be understood that by turning thesheet over from its position in Fig. 1, so as to have the slashed sidedownward, blockers for left shoes can be cut by use of the same die.

The operation above described results in the formation of a blocker partillustrated by Fig. 3. Sheets of the flexible material of the same orapproximate thickness as the incompressible portions of the blockers arecut, preferably by use of a die, to form the cushion portions ll of the,blockers along outlines corresponding to the outlines of the openings9. The walls of the openings 9, according to one way of practising theinvention, may then be coated with suitable cement such as latex, and,after the latex becomes tacky, the preformed cushion portions forcedinto the openings so that this cement may secure them therein. In thisconnection it will be understood that the sheets 19 and 2| are shown ofexaggerated thickness in the drawings and in practice do notmaterially'increase the thickness of the platform over that-determinedby the thickness of the incompressible material; which is to say, thatin practice the leatherboard sheet and cushion material are preferablysubstantially of the same thickness in spite of the relative thicknessesbeing shown otherwise in Fig. 5 and elsewhere in the drawings.

As an alternate way of securing the cushion material in the opening!) ofthe blocker, or for additionally securing it, the layer i9 may beomitted from the sheet according to Figs. .1 and 2 from which theincompressible portion of the blocker is cut, and the cushion material Hwith or without cementing its edges to the walls of the opening 9, maybe inserted in that opening, and a thin resilient sheet 29 (Figs. 6 and7) then be cemented over the entire surface of the cushion material andadjacent portions of the blocker at the slashed side of the sheet 11.The sheet 29, which may be of any of the materials described for thesheet l9, serves the same purpose as the sheet l9 as well as acting tosecure the cushion material in assembled relation with theincompressible portion of the blocker.

The cushion material 9 may take different shapes, as is clear from Figs.4, 8 and 9. As shown in Fig. 4, the cushion material, except for thesurrounding frame of incompressible maward extremity of the shankportion, while in Fig. 8 it is confined to the ball and toe portions. Asillustrated in Figs. 8 and 9, the sheet 29 for securing the cushionmaterial to the incompresible material extends rearwardly from the tipof the toe far enough to cover the slashed area of the platform. Itwill.be noted in all of these modifications that the platform betweenits edges comprises cushion material at the ball portion,

and in this sense at least part of the ball portion should comprise thecushion material to suit the needs of the ordinary wearer of the shoe.

The resilient material 19 of the modification illustrated by Figs. 1 to5, and the resilient material 29 of the modifications illustrated byFigs. 6 to 9, which material in each case covers the slash lines of theincompressible material and preferably .is uninterruptedly cemented tothe leatherboard, stretch between the portions at opposite sides of eachslash line when the platform or shoe is flexed, as is illustrateddiagrammatically in Fig. 11. Conveniently this resilient material isapplied under a slight initial tension so as to prevent any tendency forit to sag or :vrinkle when the shoe is in the unflexed condiion.

The shoe illustrated in Fig. 13 comprises an insole 3! and an outsole 33between which is placed the platform, that illustrated by Fig. 9specifically being shown. The uppers 35 may be drawn over the insole,and the marginal edge portions 31 of the uppers stapled or otherwisesecured to the edge portions of the insole, in the usual manner at thecompletion of the drawing over operation. The platform and outsole maythen be applied to the lasted shoe and secured thereto by the throughstitches 39. Preferably a finishing strip 4| is applied to the edges ofthe platform, which strip preferably is a thin kid leather bindingfolded over the marginal edges of the platform. Conveniently it may beapplied to the platform before positioning it in the shoe by folding itover the edges of the platform and securing it-thereto by stitches 43 asindicated in Figs. 9 and 10. The binding 4| however may be cemented inplace, particularly if it is kid leather or fabric or other materialhaving sufficient resiliency not to interfere materially with theflexibility of the slashed portion of the platform. It has been foundthat the incompressible frame causes the platform to have a perfect edgewhere it shows at the edges of the shoe. Were the platform wholly ofcushion material the outsole.

securing stitches would cause an uneven edge on account of thecompressibility of the cushion material, and the edges of the platformwould bulge outward during walking and take 'a set after the shoeswereworn for some time, any of which would mar the appearance of the shoe.On the other hand, the incompressible frame prevents any possibility ofsuch effects on account of its incompressibility, yet the platformaccording to the invention provides in all substantial degrees thedesired cushioning effect.

The platform and outsole in some instances may be secured by means ofcement, but with some sacrifice of flexibility. Such a shoe is indicatedin Fig. 14 wherein the drawn over marginal edges 31 of the uppers arecemented to the insole, and the layer l9 and adjacent edges of thebinding 39 are cemented to the marginal portion of the uppers, theoutsole being cemented to the sheet 29 of the platform or to the sheet2| if the latter is employed in place of the sheet 29.

In Figs. 15 to 19 are illustrated forms of strip, 5

blocker, and platform 3 for use in making shoes according to Fig. 20,which latter otherwise may be constructed in either of the ways shown byFigs. 13 and 14. The platform is similar to that shown by Fig. 8, exceptthat it is considerably shorter. As heretofore explained, the cushionportion of the platform may have various shapes as desired.

Referring to Figs. 15 to 20, the blocker 45 (Fig. 17) may be cut fromthe strip comprising a sheet 41 (Fig. 15) of incompressible material ofthe character hereinbefore described, which sheet may be slashed in thesame way as is indicated at 49. The incompressible portions 45 (Fig. 17)of the blockers may be cutfrom this sheet, in the way hereinbeforedescribed, the broken lines and 53 of Fig. 1 showing the preferredoutlines of these portions and shape of the openings therein. Thecushion material portions H may then be formed in'the mannerhereinbefore described and may be positioned within the openings 55 andsecured to the incompressible portions in each case by the resilientsheet 51 (Figs. 18 and 19) corresponding to the sheet 29 of Figs. 6, 8and 9, after which platforms of the desired contour may be cut from theblockers along outlines indicated by the broken line 59 of Fig. 17, andthe binding 4| then be applied to the marginal edges of the platformshereinbefore described.

As shown, the edge of the platform according to Figs. 18 and 19 oppositethe toe portion thereof is skived as indicated at 6| so as to fill thespace between the outsole 33 and uppers 35 at the forward extremity ofthe shank, as will be clear from Fig. 20. Conveniently the skive Bl maybe formed on the strip shown by Figs. 15 and 16 before cutting theincompressible portions of the blockers from it.

It will be understood that the sheet 51, if desired, like the sheet I 9of Figs. 1 and 2, may be placed on the strip 41 (before or after it isskived) and that the cushion material in such case may be secured to theincompressible portion by cementing it to the walls of the opening 55 inthe manner described in connection with Figs. 4 and 5. Likewise thestrip shown by Figs. 15 and 16 may have a covering corresponding to thecovering 2| of Figs. 1 and 2 applied thereto so that the same will apearin the platform.

It will be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims,wide deviations may be made from the forms of the invention describedwithout departing tion.

I claim:

1. A shoe having an outsole, a platform at at least the ball and toeportions, an insole, and upin any of the ways from the spirit of theinvenpers; said platform between the edges of the shoe-at the ballportion comprising cushion material, and at its edge portions adjacentsaid cushion material comprising relatively incompressible stiffmaterial which, at at least a material part of the ball portion, istransversely slashed for rendering it relatively flexible, rcsilientsheet material in adhering relation to said stiff material covering theslash lines therein, said insole being operatively secured to said stiffmaterial for tying together 'the portions of the latter at oppositesides of said cushion material.

2. A shoe according to claim 1 in which the relatively incompressiblestiff material is sheet leatherboard or the like liable to split betweenthe slash lines.

3. A shoe according to claim 1 in which the cushion material and stiffmaterial are sheets of approximately the same thickness.

4. A shoe according to claim 1 in which the cushion material and stiffmaterial are sheets,

and the stiff material is slashed at at least the under side thereof.

5. A platform for at least the toe and ball portions of a shoecomprising relatively incompressible stiff material providing an openingbetween edges of the platform, which opening includes at least amaterial part of the ball portion, cushion material in said opening,said stiff material being transversely slashed at at least the ballportion of the platform for rendering it relatively flexible, andrelatively resilient sheet material in adhering relation to said stiffmaterial covering the slash lines therein.

6. A platform according to claim 5 in which the relatively resilientsheet material also is in adhering relation to the cushion material foracting to secure the latter to the stiff material.

7. A platform according to claim 5 in which the stiff material isleatherboard or the like liable to split between the slash lines.

8. A platform according to claim 5 in which the cushion material andstiff material are sheets of aproximately the same thickness.

9. A platform according to claim 5 in which the cushion material andstiff material are sheets of approximately the same thickness, therelatively resilient sheet material being in adhering relation to bothfor acting to secure them together.

10. A platform according to claim 5 in which the stiff material isleatherboard or the like liable to split between the slash lines and thecushion material is a sheet of approximately the same thickness, therelatively resilient sheet material being in adhering relation to bothfor acting to secure them together.

, ARTHUR C. SEWALL.

